Computer numerical control (“CNC”) machine tools use a computer control system to control the operation of a machine tool. An operator selects a user program containing a sequence of instructions that is executed by the control system to operate the machine tool in a desired manner. Each instruction directs the machine tool to perform an action such as selecting a cutting tool, positioning the cutting tool and/or a work piece, setting a spindle rotational speed and/or a feed rate for the cutting tool, and performing one or more cuts on the work piece with the cutting tool. Using stored sequences of instructions, CNC machine tools perform complex machining of the work piece with minimal human interaction. By shifting operation of the machine tool from a manual operation performed by a machinist to a computer controlled operation, complex machining tasks become repeatable with minimal variation between finished parts.
While cutting a work piece, undesirable vibrations may occur between the work piece and the cutting tool. These undesirable vibrations, or chatter, may occur in a CNC machine tool due to a dull cutting tool, incorrect feed/speed matching between the cutting tool and the work piece, or a combination of these factors. If chatter is allowed to occur during a cutting process, the life of the cutting tool may be unnecessarily reduced and/or the machined part may have to be discarded due to a bad cut or a poor surface finish. These negative consequences lead to additional time and increased costs required to produced machined parts, thereby negating many of the efficiencies gained by using a CNC machine tool.